Fabienne Mackay's group. Lead author Dr Will Figgett seated
far left with Prof Fabienne Mackay next to him.
A ground-breaking discovery by Monash University researchers could revolutionise treatments given to lupus sufferers, saving thousands of people each year from serious illness or death caused by secondary infections.
Lupus is a vicious and widespread autoimmune disease that can attack any part of the body. It affects one in 1,000 Australians and 5 million people worldwide, and its victims are typically young women. Indigenous and Asian people suffer higher rates than other groups.
Current treatments for lupus essentially ‘switch off’ the patient’s immune system to stop it attacking their body, according to lead researcher Dr Will Figgett, from Monash University's Department of Immunology.
